Between Dreams and Reality
by Aerith The Evenstar
Summary: Edward Elric has had strange dreams before, but nothing like this. The dreams he's been experiencing have left him wondering if they're real or not, especially when it comes to the little girl he just met. Is she real or just a figment of his imagination? I'm not good at writing summaries, but it's better than it sounds.
1. Prologue

ATE: Hey everyone! I've recently gotten into watching Fullmetal Alchemist (both the original anime and Brotherhood) and this was an idea I gotten recently for this story and started writing it before I went to Metrocon 2012 (my first anime convention). Please go easy on me since this is my first time writing something for the Fullmetal Alchemist category.

Declaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist or anything relating to it. I only own my OC and any other characters that aren't from the anime or manga.

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**Between Dreams and Reality**

Prologue

Edward Elric had always experienced a few strange dreams so far in his life, like the one he had of Alfonse, Winry, and Pinako trying to force him to drink milk, or the one he had of Roy Mustang wearing a miniskirt (even to this day, that dream still disturbed him on so many levels and he tried his best to suppress it). But the dream he was having at the moment was different and it felt so realistic that he felt like he was actually standing in the grassy green meadow under a clear blue sky as a gentle breeze blew strands of his blonde bangs around; even the air he was breathing seemed to be real as well. It surprised him how peaceful his surroundings were and he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips as he closed his gold eyes to enjoy the breeze.

Suddenly Ed was brought out of his thoughts when he felt something tugging on the hem of his red coat and he opened his eyes before looking down to see what was causing it, only to have his eyes widen his shock to see who it was.

"Nina?" He thought out loud, feeling shocked.

"Huh?" The little girl asked, tilting her head to the side as she gave him a confused look. "Who's Nina?"

That was when Ed realized that the girl wasn't Nina. Sure she appeared to be around the same age as her (about 5 years, he assumed), but she looked nothing like her. The little girl before him had wide hazel colored eyes that showed the innocence all children possessed so early in their lives and chin length chestnut colored hair. Being the age that she was she only came up to his waist.

"Uh, just someone I once knew." Ed told the little girl.

At this the little girl gave him a bright smile as she looked up at him, and there was something about her smile that made him feel weird, but in a good way.

"I'm Amber." She said cheerfully.

Ed couldn't help but smile at Amber before he knelt down in front of her so that he was at her level.

"I'm Edward, but just call me Ed."

Amber's face seemed to light up when she heard his name.

"Great! Now we can be friends!"

Ed wasn't sure how to respond to Amber's declaration, but since this was a dream he figured that he'd go along with it. But there was a small part of him that seemed to be telling him that this was more than just a dream, and this only served to confuse him more. He was taken by surprise when the little girl grabbed his left hand and he almost stumbled as he got up with Amber dragging him somewhere.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Back to mom and dad. I want you to meet them."

At this Ed felt somewhat nostalgic since he was reminded of own parents; not so much his dad because of the fact that he left them, but his mom. Oh how he and Al both missed their mom. He soon spotted a man and a woman that he assumed were Amber's parents since she looked like them (she looked more like her mom than her dad) and noticed that they were sitting on a huge blanket with a picnic basket off to the side.

"Back so soon, Amber?" Her mom asked. "I thought you said you were going to pick some flowers."

"I was, but then I made a new friend!" Amber said excitedly. "This is Ed."

The reaction Amber's parents made weren't what Ed expected. They seemed to be a little concerned as they whispered quietly to each other, and he managed to pick up the words 'imaginary friend'. This confused him. Why would they say that about him? Couldn't they see him? It was then that Ed had to remind himself that this was only a dream he was experiencing, but for some reason he couldn't get rid of the slight disappointment he felt.

"Can he join us for lunch?" She asked.

"If it's okay with him." Her dad replied.

It was then that Amber turned to look up at him with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Is it okay with you, Ed?"

The way Amber looked at him reminded him of Nina and how sweet she was being. Ed couldn't bring himself to say no to such a cute little girl, so he smiled down at her before nodding his head. He was taken by surprise when she suddenly hugged him, or in this case his automail leg (which he was glad she wasn't able to see). Ed ended up sitting down on the blanket next to Amber as she ate a sandwich (she had offered him half of her sandwich, but he politely decline; he was in a dream after all); her parents' expressions seemed to be a mixture of concern and confusion and when they turned to look over in the direction he was in they seemed to look right through him instead of at him. Was it possible that they couldn't see him? If that was so, then why was Amber the only one who could see him?

'_It's doesn't matter though._' He told himself. '_This is just a dream anyways._'

But as time passed Ed found himself doubting that this was a dream. And Amber seemed to be too realistic to just be a figment of his imagination. But how else was he supposed to explain it? Maybe he was just having a really realistic dream and that this would only be a one time thing, but upon thinking that he felt somewhat disappointed. Even though he just met her, he found himself already fond of the little girl he sat next to, just like he had been when it came to Nina.

'_If only Al could meet Amber. He'd probably feel the same was as well._' He thought.

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Ed found himself waking up to find that it was already morning. He sat up in the bed he had slept in and stared down at his left hand, causing him to think of the little girl who had held it with her small one. Despite the fact that it had only been a dream Ed could still remember every single detail, as if he had actually experienced it only a few minutes ago. In fact he could vividly recall the warmth that came from her hand. This confused him since by this time he would've forgotten what he dreamt about unless it was a dream that really stood out to him.

'_Why is this one different?_' He thought.

Ed heard the sound of a door opening and looked up to see Alphonse enter the room he was in. Even though his soul was bound to a suit of armor his brother's glowing eyes seemed to brighten a bit when he saw that he was awake.

"Good morning, brother." Al greeted, and Ed could hear the smile in his echoing voice.

"Morning, Al." Ed managed to say as he yawned. It was a wonder that his younger brother could even understand what he said.

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah." Ed got out of bed and stretched his arms (both flesh and automail) above his head. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"We're going back to Sheska's place to see if she's done copying Dr. Marcoh's notes, remember?"

Ed couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed and stupid for asking and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

Ed ended up getting in the shower and as he stood under the hot water he couldn't help but stare down at his left hand that he had lifted up to his face. He could still feel the faint sensation of Amber holding his hand in the dream, as if it still lingered like phantom pain. But there wasn't any pain at all, only warmth. How could his hand still feel like this when it had all been a dream? How was it that Amber had been the only one to see him, but not her parents?

'_Could it be that it wasn't a dream?_' Ed thought. He closed his eyes and shook his head, his wet hair sticking to his damp face and back. '_No, that's not even possible. It was all in my head._' He then opened his eyes and found himself staring at his hand again. '_But then…why do I feel so unsure? Why am I doubting myself?_'

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After Ed went to sleep that night he was surprised to find himself standing inside a room. In one corner there was a small yet simple looking wooden desk that had papers and crayons scattered across its surface, two nearby windows that showed the outside would (and it happened to be morning) and two doors (on near the desk and the other on the other side of the room). But what caught his attention wasn't the bed that was pushed against the wall right next to one of the windows, but the little girl that occupied the bed. She started stirring in her bed before sitting up to rub the sleep out of her wide hazel eyes, but when she spotted him her face instantly lit up with joy.

"Ed!"

Before he knew it Ed was being hugged by Amber as she wrapped her arms around his automail leg. He was surprised that she was hugging him like he was a close friend she hadn't seen in years.

"Where did you go yesterday? I searched and searched for you, but I wasn't able to find you at all. And I was really worried that you didn't want to be my friend anymore." She told him.

This surprised Ed. Did Amber really believe that he was that important to her even though she just met him last time? But she was just a dream, right? But then why did he feel her warmth along with a soft glowing feeling in his chest after hearing what she said? How could just a little girl in his dreams make him feel this way?

'_It's almost as if she's real…_' Ed thought.

Ed bent down so that he was eye leveled with Amber before placing a hand on top of her head to ruffle her hair.

"Of course I want to be your friend. Why would you think that?" He asked.

"Because you suddenly disappeared." Amber looked a little sad. "One second you were there and the next you're gone. Like magic."

At this Ed frowned slightly as his brows knitted together. He just disappeared? And she actually tried to look for him? Sure he woke up that morning, but to hear a little girl in his dreams tell him that he just suddenly disappeared was strange. Was this even normal? She made it sound like this was something that actually happened in real life, but it couldn't be, right? Dismissing that thought for now he gave Amber a smile that soon turned into a grin.

"Hey, cheer up! I'm here now, so you have no reason to be sad!" Ed said, trying to make her feel better. He didn't know why he felt the need to do this, but for some reason he felt that he just _had _to, like it actually mattered.

It seemed to work since Amber looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yep!"

That was when Ed heard a door open and both he and Amber looked over to see her mom enter the room.

"I was coming in to wake you up, but I see you're already out of bed." She said.

"Mom! Ed's back! I told you he'd come back!" Amber said excitedly.

Ed wasn't the least bit surprised when he saw that concerned look on Amber's mom's face.

"I…see." The older woman said, sounding hesitant. She then smiled. "Are you excited about your first day of kindergarten?"

"Yeah!"

Ed then stood up and looked down at Amber.

"I'll wait outside the room." He told the little girl.

"Okay!" Amber then turned back to her mom. "Ed said that he's going to wait outside my room."

"Well, isn't he quite the gentleman."

Ed felt his face heat up slightly in embarrassment as he made his way outside Amber's room (luckily her mom left the door open) and he sat down on the floor as he leaned his back against the wall next to the door. He closed his eyes as he relaxed a bit, but then he found himself opening them when he heard the current conversation.

"Sweetie, Ed isn't real." Amber's mom said, causing Ed to frown. "He's just someone that you made up to be your imaginary friend."

"But he IS real, mom! And he's really nice! If you just meet him you'd understand!"

"I wish I could, but he's not real. Maybe you'll make new friends that are just as nice as you say he is."

This confused Ed. How was it possible for a woman in his dreams to claim that he wasn't real? Wasn't she, along with Amber, just a dream? This made no sense to him at all. It sounded as if he fell asleep and instead of dreaming he ended up in a different world or something, at least judging by what Amber told him.

'_The longer I think about it the more confused I get!_' He thought, feeling a slight headache from thinking so hard.

Ed noticed movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see Amber being led out of her room as her mom held her hand and he figured that was his cue to follow them downstairs into what appeared to be a kitchen (which had a few things he wasn't familiar with). The expression on Amber's face looked a little gloomy, but then her face lit up when she saw him and she smiled. Ed decided to sit next to her at the table and listened as she talked to him, asking him simple questions like what his favorite color was and such. Her mom came over to the table and set a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Amber, but then he frowned when the older woman placed a cup next to the little girl that contained a certain opaque liquid that he was too familiar with: milk. Ed felt his stomach churn in disgust as he watched Amber drink her milk. She must've noticed him watching her since she stopped drinking and turn to look at him. Her gaze switched between his face to the cup in her hands, then back up to his face before she held her cup out to him.

"Do you want some?" She asked, and Ed resisted the urge to shudder at the thought of drinking the diary product.

"No thanks." He said dully.

"Why?"

"Because I hate milk."

Amber gave him a surprised look.

"How can you not like milk, Ed? It's supposed to be good for you and has calcium to make you big and strong."

Ed was about to yell at Amber for implying that he was short, but he held himself back since she didn't know any better. What he did do was slouch in his seat and let out a quiet, yet slightly irritated, sigh as he closed his eyes.

"I just don't." He grumbled. He honestly didn't want to ruin her appetite by telling her that milk tasted like vomit to him.

"Maybe you don't like it, but I do." Amber told him. "In fact I'm drinking it so that someday I can be as tall as you."

Ed opened his eyes before turning to face Amber with a bewildered look.

"You want to be as tall as me?" He asked, pointing to himself.

"Yeah. When I grow up I want to be as tall as you."

Ed turned to look away from Amber as he felt himself blush slightly. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or not by her comment, but he found himself smiling regardless.

After Amber finished her breakfast her mom helped her get a tiny backpack on her back and Ed found himself following the little girl into a car (though it looked different than what he was used to). Even though Amber was only going to her first day of kindergarten he honestly had nothing better to do seeing as this was all a dream. Besides she was the only one who could see him anyways.

'_And knowing me I'd probably die from boredom! Is that even possible in a dream?'_ He thought.

As Ed stared out the window of the moving car he was in he couldn't help but let his mind wander. He was honestly glad that he and Al had managed to obtain Dr. Marcoh's notes (all thanks to Sheska who happened to have really good photographic memory that she managed to copy everything for them in five days) and so far they had spent the majority of their time trying to decipher them. Maybe it was a good thing that he was experiencing the dream he was in, seeing as it gave him some time to relax a bit from working so hard.

'_Is it a coincidence that I'm experiencing this kind of dream a second time?_' Ed glanced over at Amber before looking out the window again. '_Could meeting Amber even be considered a coincidence, or that she's the only one that can see me?_'

Distracted by his thoughts Ed hadn't been aware of what was going on until the car came to a stop and he had to blink a few times until he realized that the car had arrived at the place Amber's mom was taking the little girl to. When the older woman opened the car door to retrieve Amber, Ed got worried since he happened to be sitting between her and the door. And there was no way for him to get out of the way in time. But to his surprise the older woman went right through him, leaving him completely baffled.

'_WHAT THE HELL?_!' His mind screamed.

That was when the car door was closed right in front of him and Amber's mom started leading the little girl after she got her out of the car.

"Hey! I'm still in here!" Ed yelled in complaint, only to hear a sound that he was familiar with. "Dammit! She locked me inside the car!"

Ed reached his hand out to manually unlock the car door, only to be shocked when he suddenly went through the door and end up outside the car itself. He stared at the ground as his mind tried to register what happened. It didn't take that long for it to do so.

"WHAT IS UP WITH THE PHYSICS OF THIS DREAM? THIS IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE!"

It was then Ed realized that both Amber and her mom were far ahead of him and he had to rush to catch up to them. He followed them into the school and through a hallway until they entered a room that had a bunch of kids around Amber's age and an older woman that appeared to be around the same age as her mother (who he assumed to be the teacher of that classroom). Amber's mom soon left her after saying that she would be back to pick her up when school was over and it was then that the little girl turned to him with her bright smile.

"I'm so happy you came with me, Ed" Amber said.

Ed grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

"Hey, it's nothing really. It's the least I can do" He told her.

Amber opened her mouth to speak, but she was suddenly shoved forcefully to the floor.

"Amber!" Ed was by her side in seconds as he knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?"

Amber didn't say anything, but hearing her whimper did little to ease the growing concern he suddenly felt. She sounded like she wanted to cry, but she was doing everything she could to hold everything back.

"Watch where you're going you pipsqueak midget!"

At neck breaking speed Ed's head shot in the direction the voice came from and he had a murderous look on his face as he glared intensely at the boy who had pushed Amber.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL HE'D SINK INTO THE SAND AND THEN WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN HE DOESN'T EVEN SINK AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DROWNING BECAUSE HE'S SO MICROSCOPIC HE CAN BREATHE OXYGEN OUT OF PURE WATER?_!_?_!_?_!_"

By the time Ed finished, he was breathing heavily due to the fact he had somehow managed to say everything in one breath. He was expecting the boy to answer him, but then he remembered that nobody else but Amber could see or hear him. Speaking about Amber he turned to glance down at her and he found her staring at him in shock with her hazel eyes being wider than they usually were.

"Simon! I saw what you did!" The teacher said as she marched over to where the boy was until she towered over him. "Apologize to her now!"

Even though the teacher's anger wasn't directed at him Ed felt somewhat fearful since the teacher herself reminded him of Izumi whenever she got angry. This time he couldn't suppress the urge to shudder. The boy, Simon, turned to face Amber with a scowl on his face.

"Sorry." He grumbled.

"EXCUSE me?" The older woman asked.

"I said I'm sorry."

"Now say it like you mean it."

"I'm sorry." The boy finally said, but despite the fact that he sounded like he meant it Ed knew that it really didn't mean it.

It seemed the teacher thought the same thing he did since she sighed quietly, knowing that was probably all she was going to get from the stubborn little boy.

"Good. Now run off."

Simon seemed more than eager to get away and Ed frowned. It was only the first day of school and already Amber was having problems, and it wasn't even her fault at all. The teacher eventually walked away and Ed turned to Amber, his gold eyes softened as he watched her get up off the floor.

"Thank you, Ed. Even though you weren't able to do anything, just knowing that you tried means a lot to me." Amber said quietly.

Ed wasn't sure how to respond to what the little girl said. What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? He wished he could've defended Amber from that boy, but then he'd probably go right through him. He couldn't understand why he was suddenly so protective of Amber, but right now he didn't care. All that mattered right now was that he made sure to be there for her when she needed him.

'_Why am I suddenly so protective over a dream?_' He asked himself.

Later that day Ed was sitting next to Amber at the table she was at as she and all the other kids where having art time or something to that context. As he watched her, he noticed how she was leaning over the paper as she colored with crayons and this made him curious. He tried to lean over her to see what she was drawing but when Amber noticed what he was doing she quickly covered her drawing from him with her arms.

"Don't look!" She said.

"What are you drawing?" He asked, smiling in amusement.

"It's a secret."

Ed chuckled.

"You do realize I'll find out eventually, right?"

"No you won't!" Amber shook her head.

Suddenly a thing of blue paint had been tipped over, which happened to get spilled on the table Amber was working at and got her arms covered in it. On instinct she quickly got out of her seat, hugging her drawing close to her, before it could ruin her shirt some more. But it didn't stop there. Ed was forced to watch as Simon snatched Amber's drawing out of her arms and ripped the paper in half, causing both himself and Amber's eyes to go wide in shock. This didn't escape the teacher's notice since she went up to the boy and scolded him for his behavior.

Ed looked at Amber to see that there were hints of unshed tears in her eyes, but again she was holding them back like before. He honestly couldn't stand the fact that Amber was being bullied for no reason and before he knew it, he found himself pulling the fist of his automail arm back before thrusting it forward to punch Simon, but his arm went right through him and Ed ended up losing his balance before falling to the floor. He forced himself to get up off the floor, go over to the ripped up halves of the drawing that was now on the floor and bend down to pick them up and hold them together, only to be surprised to find that it was a drawing of himself and Amber holding hands, the drawing itself having been crudely drawn with crayons. He looked back up at Amber with a soft expression when he saw that she looked somewhat upset before standing up and going over to her. She didn't seem to notice his presence when he stood in front of her.

"Amber…" He said quietly, which caused the little girl to look up at him.

Ed held the two halves of the drawing to Amber and she slowly lifted her hands up to take them from him before staring down at them sadly.

"My drawing…" She said quietly so only he could hear.

Ed kneeled down in front of Amber before placing his automail arm on her shoulder, making her look up at his face.

"At least I got to see what you were drawing." He said, trying to lighten the mood.

Ed's words did little to cheer Amber up, but at least it let her know that he was there for her. He now knew that she thought highly of him (if the drawing wasn't any indication) and even if this was all a dream he wouldn't let her go through this alone. He might not have been able to help Nina, but he'd try his damn best to help Amber.

Even when Amber's mom came to pick her up from school the little girl was still somewhat upset and Ed couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He didn't understand how he could feel so strongly for what happened to Amber when this was only a dream. It wasn't normal to feel this way, he knew this, and like so many other times he started doubting if this was a dream or not.

'_What if this wasn't all a dream and was actually happening?_' He thought to himself.

Ed ended up following Amber up to her room as soon as they got home and he found her sitting on her bed while hugging her knees to her chest. He decided to sit on the side of her bed and looked over at her, trying to figure out what he could do to make her feel better.

"You know, I've actually been picked on for my height, even by my superiors." Ed started.

This got Amber's attention since she looked at him.

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, especially by Colonel Roy Mustang. He's an extremely sarcastic and egotistical _jerk_ who thinks that the search for the Philosopher's Stone that me and my brother are on is a complete waste of time." Ed had been quick enough to call Roy a 'jerk' instead of a 'bastard' for Amber's sake. He then changed his voice to imitate his superior. "'Struck out on the Philosopher's Stone again, huh? How am I supposed to keep funding this goose chase? Money doesn't grow on trees there, chief. Ed? Where'd you run off to? Oh wait, there you are! I couldn't see you there beyond my paperwork! Seeing as how you're so short and all! Hahahaha!'"

As Ed said all this he did all sorts of gestures to emphasis his point. And it wasn't long before he heard Amber start to giggle from his Roy Mustang impression. He smiled, knowing that he'd been able to cheer the little girl up, but he was taken by surprise when she suddenly hugged him.

"You're so funny, Ed." She told him, causing him to grin.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

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Over the past nine days Ed and Al had been working non-stop to decipher Dr. Marcoh's notes (the former having managed to stay awake the whole time). They had been successful on deciphering the notes on the Philosopher's Stone, but what they discovered in the end wasn't what they expected. Dr. Marcoh was right when he told them that it was the devil's research.

The main ingredient in creating a Philosopher's Stone was human life. Just creating a stone the size of a marble required many human sacrifices. It would explain the real reason for the massacre that took place in Ishval all those years ago.

Despite the fact that they found the truth concerning the creation of a Philosopher's Stone, Ed now regretted learning the information he had found. Both he and Al had been so hopeful to get their hands on a stone to get their bodies back, but now knowing that it would be at the cost of many human lives this wasn't how they wanted to do it. There had to be some other way to do it without having to make such a great sacrifice.

So that's why he and Al were currently holed up in their hotel room. At least they were able to convince Armstrong (with the help of both Maria Ross and Denny Brosh) that they were exhausted from all the research they had done for ten days straight. At the moment Ed was laying down on a couch staring up at the ceiling.

He couldn't help but wonder how Amber was doing since he last dreamt about her nine days ago. He could only hope that she was okay after what happened on her first day of kindergarten.

'_I probably might not have that dream again._' He thought, closing his eyes to get some sleep.

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Ed found himself standing in Amber's room with the little girl herself sitting at the small wooden desk in the corner seeming to stare down at something on its surface. In the background he could hear the soft pitter-patter of rain outside (which he was able to confirm when he looked out the window), and despite the fact that it was still day the room looked somewhat dim mainly due to the cloudy sky outside the window. But looking over at Amber he couldn't help but notice that there was something…sad about her.

"Amber…" Ed said quietly, getting the feeling that there was something wrong.

Amber didn't say anything, but Ed knew she heard him. She was the only one who could hear him in this dream. He slowly made his way over to where she sat at the desk and knelt down so that he was leveled with her. He looked down at the desk and he found a drawing of himself holding hands with Amber, just like the one that got ruined because of Simon the last time he'd been there, but what he noticed were what appeared to be drops of water that stained the paper with a slightly darker shade due to the wet substance. Confused, Ed lifted his gold gaze to Amber's face, only to become concerned when he saw a wet trail down her cheek that originated from her eyes, and he realized that she had been crying recently. He no longer cared if this was all a dream because the emotions he was feeling were too real to be just his imagination. What he was feeling was genuine, plain and simple.

"Ed…" He heard Amber say quietly, almost a whisper. And he noticed how sad her voice sounded, giving him a sinking feeling in his heart. "…What is…my purpose in life?"

This question surprised Ed. How was he, a State Alchemist, supposed to answer such a question when he himself didn't even know his own purpose? He honestly wanted to give her an answer, but he couldn't provide it to her.

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know the answer myself." He told her. "But what I can tell you is that it's something we'll find someday if we search long enough for it."

Ed watched as Amber lifted her head up from the paper, but she didn't turn to look at him.

"You're a guardian angel, right? Is that why I'm the only one who can see you?"

Ed frowned slightly at Amber's assumption.

"I'm no guardian angel. Not even close." He shook his head. "I don't even believe in god at all."

This was when Amber finally turned to look at him with red puffy eyes from when she was crying earlier.

"Why don't you believe in god?" She asked.

Ed sighed quietly before taking off his red coat, followed by the white glove on his right hand and the black jacket he wore over his black tank top in order to show her his automail arm; he lifted the pant leg covering his left leg to show her his automail leg before looking back up to see her hazel eyes were wide from what he was showing her.

"A few years ago me and my younger brother tried to obtain something that was very precious to us, but it ended up costing us more than we bargained for. I lost my left leg and right arm because of this, while my brother lost his body, and ever since that day I've been doing my best to do whatever it takes to get his body back."

"Did…it hurt when you lost your arm and leg?"

"More than you can imagine."

Ed was surprised when Amber suddenly started crying and he couldn't figure out if it was something he said or not, but then the little girl latched herself onto him, making him realize that she wasn't crying because of what he said, but for him. She was crying because she felt sorry for him. Despite not knowing what to do he found himself wrapping his arms around her small form, hoping that it would make her feel better. Eventually Ed picked her up before carrying her over to her bed and sitting down with her in his lap, just as she finished crying.

"I'm sorry." She said, causing him to look down at her.

"For what?"

"That you lost your arm and leg and your brother losing his body. It must've been hard for both of you."

A small smile ended up forming on Ed's lips.

"But even then we still manage to keep moving forward." He told her. "It's that kind of determination that can motivate just about anyone."

Amber turned to where the wooden desk was before getting down from Ed's lap and going over to pick up the drawing sitting on its surface. She then came back to stand in front of him and held the drawing out to him.

"I want you to have this." She said.

Surprised, Ed slowly reached out his human hand to take the drawing from her and smiled as he gazed down at it. He carefully folded the paper twice before placing it in his pocket. From that point the rest of the day seemed to go by really quickly and before he knew it Ed found himself sitting on the side of Amber's bed while the little girl was under the covers ready to go to sleep.

"Ed, can you tell me a story?" Amber asked.

"I don't really know any good stories to tell you." Ed answered.

"Then can you tell me about a good memory you had when you and your brother were little?"

Ed was surprised by this, but then he smiled, all the while searching through his mind for a good memory of when he and Al where still little.

"When both me and Al were little, we used to play with this girl named Winry all the time. One day when we were playing outside we found this small puppy without an owner and we brought her back to her house. When she asked her parents if she could keep her, they said yes and Winry ended up naming the puppy Den. Ever since that day Den has been a part of Winry and Granny Pinako's family."

As Ed told Amber that memory he noticed how her eyes started drooping a bit, and he knew that she was starting to fall asleep.

"Thank you." She said sleepily and yawned. "I…love you, Ed…"

At this Ed blushed from what Amber said before going to sleep. She _loved_ him? She couldn't have meant it that way. Maybe she meant that she loved him as a sister would love their brother or something like that. But what if she…?

'_Where did that idea even come from?_' He thought, his eyes softening.'_She's…just a dream. Something that my mind created as I sleep. She isn't real._'

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Ed woke up on the couch he was sleeping on. He let out a yawn before glancing over to a nearby clock, only to be somewhat surprised when he saw that it was early in the morning.

'_Damn. How did I end up waking up so early?_' Ed thought. '_And I was having such a good dream too—_'

That was when Ed noticed something inside one of his pockets and he reached into it before pulling out a folded piece of paper. His eyes widened in shock when he unfolded the paper and saw what was on it.

'_What…?_'

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?_!_" Ed yelled.

Ed was unaware of the fact that Al was staring at him, clearly confused about what his older brother was yelling about.

"Ed?" Al asked.

"THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" He continued, not having heard Al's voice.

"Brother? Are you okay?"

"No! I'm not-!" Ed froze when he realized Al had been talking to him and turned to face his younger brother. "I mean, I'm okay! Nothing wrong at all!"

Ed started laughing nervously as Al stared at him.

"What's that you have in your hand?" Al asked.

Ed stopped laughing and quickly glanced down at the drawing in his hand. He had to think up of an excuse quickly before Al could assume anything!

"It's just the message that Dr. Marcoh gave us awhile back." He lied before looking in the direction of the bathroom. "I gotta use the bathroom!"

Before Al could say anything Ed ran into the bathroom before shutting the door behind him. He let out a quiet sigh before sliding down to the floor with his back leaning against the door. Ed's gaze fell on the drawing in his hands, still showed that he even had it with him in the first place. How was it possible that he had the drawing Amber gave him? That girl and everything else had been a dream, right? If that were the case, then why did he still have the drawing she gave him? Why could he still recall her warmth even after waking up?

'_She couldn't have been real! She was just a dream! Or was she? Was Amber real or not? But then how do I even have this drawing in my hand?_' Ed squeezed his eyes shut as he hung his head. '_What's going on? I don't know what the hell is real!_'

* * *

ATE: That's it for the prologue for this story. This has got to be the longest prologue I've ever written before so far and it was 16 pages long! One thing I'm a little concerned about is if I kept Ed in character or not. Also I have the drawing I did of little Amber on deviantart so you can check that out (get rid of the spaces):

aerith -the- evenstar .deviantart gallery/ 3793 0095 #/ d55 9q 52

Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter and please remember to review!


	2. Chapter 1

ATE: Well, would you look at that? I finally managed to update this story (everybody's probably thinking "ABOUT TIME!_!_!). I had to majority of this chapter done before I started working on it today, which was mainly because I was busy with college so far. I'd like to thank **viper's fang **and **Crystalmaiden62** for reviewing so far, and to those who've read the first chapter at this point. I worked really hard on this chapter and I hope that everyone will enjoy this update.

Declaimer: I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, own any OC characters you encounter within this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 1

Ed was confused when he found himself surrounded by a huge expanse of white all around him, but then he realized where he was when he saw the familiar formless white form (or outline) of an entity he knew he'd never forget after what happened that fateful night: Truth.

"What am I doing here?" Ed demanded.

This only caused a grin to appear on Truth's face.

**"What? After everything I've done for you, this is the thanks I get? Haven't you heard the saying 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'?"** Truth asked.

Ed suddenly felt confused by what Truth said.

"What are you talking about?"

**"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about, Edward. After all, the last few times you've slept you 'dreamt'of her."**

Ed finally realized what the entity was talking about as his gold eyes widened in shock.

"You mean Amber?" Ed asked.

Truth's grin seemed to get larger upon hearing this.

**"Oh, so you _do _know what I'm talking about. And here I thought you forgot all about your experience on the other side of the Gate."**

"The other side? So those dreams I was having—"

**"Weren't dreams?"** Truth finished. **"Exactly. The only reason why no one else could see you besides that little girl was because you had to temporarily give up that aspect while on the other side since you were sleeping."**

"But then why was she able to see me?"

Truth merely chuckled.

"**Why don't you see for yourself?"**

Before Ed could respond tiny black hands suddenly grabbed him from behind before pulling him through an open gate that had been behind him. He watched as he got farther and farther away from Truth until the doors of the Gate slammed shut before him.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ed's eyes shot open and he gasped him surprise, only to find himself standing in a familiar room that he remembered to be Amber's room, but it was different than the last time he saw it. The small wooden desk he remembered the little girl sitting at was no longer there, and in its place was a bigger desk meant for a bigger person. There was the absence of toys and stuffed animals that left Ed confused, but what confused him even more was the form he spotted sleeping in the bed in front of him. Before he could get a better look an annoying buzzing sound went off, causing the person in the bed to reach over and slam their hand on top of it. The person grumbled something incoherent before sitting up in bed and Ed's eyes widened in shock.

The person in the bed was Amber, except she was older! Her once chin length chestnut hair seemed to come a little past her shoulders and the features of her face were more defined than they were when he last saw her as a 5 year old. Ed blushed as he was suddenly reminded of what she told him before she fell asleep the last time he saw her. Did she still remember that?

Ed then noticed that she was staring at him with half lidded eyes, but a few seconds later she started screaming. He barely dodged the pillow she threw at him, but luckily he managed to do so.

"Hey! Why the hell are you throwing—"

Ed didn't get to finish since he got hit in the head by the alarm clock she threw at him and he ended up on the floor trying to recover.

As for Amber, she had gotten out of her bed to grab the next closest object to her, which happened to be her lamp. Just as she was about to throw it at the boy on the floor the door to her room opened, causing her to turn and find her mom standing there.

"What's wrong, Amber? Why are you screaming?" Her mom asked.

Amber was confused. Couldn't her mom see that there was a complete stranger lying on the floor after she hit him with her alarm clock?

"Nothing's wrong, mom! It was just a spider that freaked me out, that's all! I took care of it!" Amber lied.

"Okay. Just remember that you need to get ready for school."

With that Amber's mom left, closing the door behind her. Amber turned back to the boy who was now sitting up and rubbing the spot where he got hit by her alarm clock. Her hazel eyes narrowed and she stood over him while armed with her lamp.

"Okay, now talk!" She whispered loudly so her parents wouldn't hear her. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in my room?"

"What, you don't remember me?" He asked, gazing up at her with a pair of stunning gold eyes. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw them, but then she mentally told herself that they could be fake since they did make contacts that changed your eye color.

"Who hasn't seen a person cosplay as Edward Elric? I've seen tons of them before." Amber didn't notice how the boy's body tensed up. She then had a thoughtful look on her face. "Then again, I haven't seen a costume as detailed as yours before. I wonder how much time you spent making it?"

"I didn't make it! I bought it like you would any other outfit in a store!" The boy protested after getting up. "And what is this 'cosplay' you're talking about anyways?! Better yet, why would people want to dress up as me in the first place?_!_"

Amber stared at him in confusion.

'_What?_' She thought.

And that was when she noticed his height. Even though she was a few inches taller than him, he was still short.

"You have quite the big ego for a pipsqueak midget."

Suddenly the boy's face had a murderous look as he glared at her.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL HE'D SINK INTO THE SAND AND THEN WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN HE DOESN'T EVEN SINK AND HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DROWNING BECAUSE HE'S SO MICROSCOPIC HE CAN BREATHE OXYGEN OUT OF PURE WATER!_!_!_!_!_!_"

Terrified, Amber threw the lamp she was holding at the stranger and caused him to fall to the floor again. As she stared at him she couldn't help but suddenly be reminded of what happened on her first day of kindergarten, a memory she had thought she'd forgotten (and had wanted to forget) for a long time. It had been after Simon had shoved her to the floor that she had heard a voice yell those same words at him, but that boy hadn't heard them at all. Then she remembered that voice asking her what she was drawing, and that same drawing being ripped in half by Simon. But there had been someone that voice belonged to that had been her friend, but she couldn't recall what they looked like. What she did remember was a mechanical right arm and left leg.

"Damn! You're just as bad as Winry!" The boy muttered.

"Who are you really?" Amber asked quietly.

Ed looked up at Amber and he noticed the slight terrified look in her eyes as she gazed at him. But most of all he could see her confusion. She really didn't remember him at all. Slowly, Ed got up off the floor so that he didn't end up giving her anymore reason to throw something at him before reaching into his pocket. He noticed Amber's body tense up out of the corner of his eye until he pulled out the folded piece of paper that contained the drawing she had given him last time.

"I think you need to look at this before I continue." He told her, holding the folded paper out to her.

Amber was confused as to why this stranger was holding a folded piece of paper out to her. What did a piece of paper have to do with who this guy was? Hesitantly, she took it from him before slowly unfolding the paper. She became even more confused when she saw the crude drawing on it that had been done in what appeared to be crayon. The drawing itself was of what appeared to be a little girl with short brown hair and a older person with yellow hair that was pulled back in what looked like a ponytail and wearing red and black. At first Amber wasn't sure what to make of it, but as she continued to stare at it the drawing started to look familiar, but where had she seen it?

"Look familiar?" The boy asked, causing Amber to look up at him with a confused look. "You made that drawing and gave it to me the last time I was here. When we first met you're parents thought I was your imaginary friend. I remember hearing you telling your mom that I was real after she told you I wasn't. I was there when that kid Simon was picking on you on that first day of kindergarten and how he ripped the original drawing you happen to be holding onto at the moment. Before you gave me that drawing, you thought I was a guardian angel and I told you I wasn't, along with the fact that I don't believe in god."

Amber wasn't sure what to make of what this stranger was telling her, but it all sounded familiar. But it was the last bit that left her confused.

"Why don't you believe in god?" She asked.

He didn't say anything, but what he did do was start taking his red coat off, and Amber suddenly felt anxious, her heartbeat seeming to be very loud in her own ears, as he managed to slip it off completely. He then took off the white glove that was on his right hand before he started taking off his black jacket. Amber let out a gasp when the jacket came off and her eyes widened when a metal right arm was revealed in all its gleaming glory, along with a glimpse of a metal left leg when the boy lifted his pant leg up to show her. Those couldn't be real! There was no way that what she was seeing as actual automail! She took a step back when his gold gaze met hers, looking at her solemnly, as if expecting her to respond somehow.

Amber suddenly remembered a rainy day, feeling sad, and then gleaming metal limbs along with a familiar face, the same familiar face that was now looking at her. Filled with fear, she opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out regardless of how hard she tried. This couldn't be the same person she had known when she was little, the one that had supposedly been her 'imaginary friend'. She now knew, without a doubt, that the person standing before her was in fact Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. And it scared her.

"Do you need me to tell you the story or do you remember what happened?" He asked.

Not knowing what to do, Amber quickly picked out a random outfit before rushing into her bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Ed just stood where he was as he hung his head. Amber's reaction to seeing his automail limbs kept replaying in his head and just thinking of it made him feel horrible. She hadn't reacted that way when he first showed her when she was still 5, so why was her reaction so vastly different than last time?

Ed sighed before getting his stuff back on, but it was as he was getting his red coat back on that he noticed the drawing lying on the floor. Amber must've dropped it before she ran into the bathroom. His legs seemed to have a mind of their own since he found himself walking over and picking up the drawing before going over to the bed and sitting down on it. He then heard the door to the bathroom being unlocked and looked up in time to see Amber walk out wearing blue jeans and a white shirt that had mid-long sleeves that had slits in the sides starting at the shoulders before stopping at the end. He turned his head away to hide the blush he now had from seeing her in the outfit she chose to wear. And then his blushing face deepened as he was reminded again of when she said she 'loved him' the last time he saw her.

'_Why'd I have to think about _that_ now?_' Ed thought.

Ed suddenly heard the sound of a door open and he looked up in time to see Amber walk out of her room before shutting it behind her. He didn't have anything better to do so he followed her (not surprised by the fact that he was able to go right through the closed door) downstairs into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and despite the fact that he took a seat in the chair next to her, Amber seemed to be ignoring him completely. He scrunched up his face in disgust when he noticed the glass of milk she was drinking and he could've sworn she glanced at him.

When Amber had finished eating breakfast Ed watched her tell her mom that she was leaving for school before following her outside as she walked to school. As he walked beside her, Ed glanced over at Amber to see that she was avoiding looking at him. He was starting to get a little uncomfortable from the awkward silence between them (and somewhat irritated).

"Mind telling me why you're giving me the silent treatment all of a sudden?" Ed asked, hoping that he could get her to talk.

Amber didn't say anything, causing Ed to sigh.

"Are you seriously going to be like this the whole time?" He turned to her and saw that she wasn't doing anything in response. Ed placed his hands on her shoulders so that she was forced to stop and look at him. "I don't know what it was I did, but whatever it was I'm sorry, okay?"

Amber looked away from Ed, feeling herself blush slightly from him placing his hands on her shoulders.

"You didn't do anything." She told him.

She heard Ed sigh in what sounded like relief.

"Good. I was kinda worried that I did something wrong."

"It's not that though. You're not supposed to exist here."

It was quiet before Ed spoke again.

"What do you mean?"

Amber sighed before reaching into her backpack and pulling out a copy of the first volume of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga and handing it to Ed. She watched as his gold eyes widened in shock.

"This is what I meant, Ed. In this world you're a character in this manga and TV show called Fullmetal Alchemist, while there was another one called Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, which is more accurate to the manga. But what I don't understand is how I've known you _before _this manga or both animes were created."

"Your guess is as good as mine." Ed said before handing the manga back to Amber.

Amber was confused. She had been expecting a different reaction from Ed.

"You're taking this pretty well, considering that you just found out you don't exist in this world."

"What were you expecting?"

"I was expecting something along the lines of you being angry that someone made you and your brother up and created a story just to entertain people. Maybe even yell at me for telling you this and showing you the manga."

"Normally I would be, but then I kinda did the same thing by thinking that you didn't exist and that you were just something my mind came up with while I was asleep. I guess it's only fair to some extent."

"You got a good point. I had thought you were some imaginary friend."

It was quiet between the two before Ed spoke.

"You do remember what happened the last time I saw you, right?"

"Sort of. It was 10 years ago so my memory's a little fuzzy." Suddenly Amber remembered something and blushed. "I…didn't say anything to you before I fell asleep that time, did I?"

"Actually, you did."

Amber's blush got deeper.

"You mean I actually said _that_ to you?"

"Yeah." She noticed Ed started to blush.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence until both Amber and Ed arrived at the high school she was attending. She glanced at Ed out of the corner of her eye to see that he was staring wide eyed at the building and she couldn't help but giggle, causing him to turn to her.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing!" She told him. "I'm guessing you've never seen a high school before, have you?"

"'High school'?"

Amber sighed quietly.

"How was schooling done in Amestris? You know, like grade levels and such?"

"How should I know? To me school was just school."

"Well, here we have different grade levels, starting with kindergarten and then first through twelve grade. Kindergarten through fifth grade is taught in one building known as elementary school, while sixth through eighth grade are taught in middle school, and ninth through twelfth grade are taught in high school."

"So your grade level is between ninth and twelfth grade."

"Amber!"

_**(Ed's POV)**_

Ed turned in the direction the voice came from and saw a boy come up to Amber. The boy himself had short black hair and had brown eyes that were hidden behind a pair of glasses. His outfit was casual looking, with a white button up shirt and tan cargo pants. But the worst part was that not only was he taller than him, but he was taller than Amber. And why was he being so friendly with her as well?

"Hey, Cody! What's up?" Amber asked.

'_So his name is Cody_.' Ed thought.

"Nothing much. So did you manage to see that episode of Brotherhood?"

"Yeah, I did." Ed noticed that Amber sounded somewhat nervous for some reason, but he soon realized that it probably had to do with that show she was telling him about awhile ago.

"It's funny how I got you interested in Fullmetal Alchemist all those years ago. Although I didn't expect you to become an Edward Elric fangirl in the process."

Ed was surprised to hear this, but when he turned to look at Amber he saw that her face was red. So it was true.

"At least I'm not into the whole Team Edward/Team Jacob thing that's been going on because of Twilight. And if I remember correctly you had a thing for Winry."

"That's only because she's a mechanic and you know how that kind of stuff interests me!" Cody said as he blushed a bit. "But wouldn't it be cool if any of it was real? That way I'd get to learn how automail works and everything."

"Y-yeah, it would be cool…if it was real."

"Well I better get going so see you later, Amber!"

Ed's eyes widened when he saw Cody kiss Amber on the cheek before leaving and he could see that she was blushing because of it. Without realizing it he was gritting his teeth while clenching his fists.

"Ed, are you okay?"

Ed found Amber staring at him with a confused look. He then realized what he had been doing and looked away from her as he tried to relax.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He grumbled.

Amber then moved so that she stood in front of him, her hazel eyes observing his face with a thoughtful look. Then her eyes widened.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Amber asked.

"What are you talking about?_!_ I'm not jealous at all!" Ed yelled.

'_I just don't like how friendly he was with you!_' He added mentally.

"That's why you're being very defensive right now."

"I'm not being defensive!"

Amber sighed in slight annoyance.

"Whatever. I need to get to class now."

Ed watched as Amber walked away and entered the school. He remembered Cody kissing her cheek and suddenly became angry, only to have his eyes widened as he realized what he was doing.

'_Crap! I am jealous!_' He frowned. '_What am I saying? There's no point in me being jealous in the first place! I don't even exist in this world!_'

Ed started chasing after Amber to catch up with her.

_**(Amber's POV)**_

Amber turned around and smiled when she saw Cody running up to her.

"Hey, Cody! What's up?"

"Nothing much." Cody replied. "So did you manage to see that episode of Brotherhood?"

Amber tensed up as she remembered that Ed was currently standing next to her.

"Yeah, I did." Amber said nervously.

"It's funny how I got you interested in Fullmetal Alchemist all those years ago. Although I didn't expect you to become an Edward Elric fangirl in the process."

Amber blushed at this, and it didn't help that Ed was forced to listen to this conversation.

'_How embarrassing! Now Ed's probably thinking that I'm some obsessed fangirl or something._' She thought.

"At least I'm not into the whole Team Edward/Team Jacob thing that's been going on because of Twilight. And if I remember correctly you had a thing for Winry."

At this Cody ended up blushing slightly.

"That's only because she's a mechanic and you know how that kind of stuff interests me! But wouldn't it be cool if any of it was real? That way I'd get to learn how automail works and everything."

"Y-yeah, it would be cool…if it was real."

'_If only you knew, Cody._'

"Well I better get going so see you later, Amber!"

Amber was surprised when Cody suddenly kissed her on the cheek before heading inside the school, causing her to blush in the process. She lightly touched the place where he had kissed her. Cody had never done anything like that before so why now? Did he…like her?

She suddenly remembered that Ed was standing next to her and when she turned to look at him she saw that he was clenching his hands into fists and he was frowning. He looked as if he was ready to murder someone.

"Ed, are you okay?"

Amber watched as Ed turned to her, but he then looked away from her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He grumbled.

She knew something was up seeing as there had to be a reason why he was acting the way he did, so she moved around so that she stood right in front of him. She stared at Ed's face, trying to find the answer to her question, only to soon widen her eyes.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Amber asked.

"What are you talking about?_!_ I'm not jealous at all!" Ed yelled.

"That's why you're being very defensive right now."

"I'm not being defensive!"

Amber sighed in slight annoyance.

"Whatever. I need to get to class now."

Amber walked off, not caring if Ed was following her or not, as she went inside. She groaned quietly as she remembered that her first class happened to be chemistry, a subject that she hated.

'_If I'm lucky maybe Ed can help me with it._' She thought.

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Throughout the rest of the day Ed had followed Amber around to all her classes. It was during her classes that she silently communicated with him by writing something down on paper, and he would respond to her out loud seeing as no one else could hear him. This was also helpful when she asked him for help in chemistry, and he was more than happy to help her when it came to a subject he was very familiar with.

But when lunch time came around that was when things took a drastic turn, especially when Cody showed up to have lunch with Amber. And to make matters worse, he took the seat Ed was sitting in (which was next to her), forcing him to sit in the only seat left available: across from Cody.

During her conversation with Cody, Amber could see Ed glaring at her friend with a murderous look (bringing to mind the expression 'if looks could kill', which was probably what he was trying to do at the time). Not to mention that he was quietly growling every now and then. She couldn't help but wonder what his problem was and if it had anything to do with what happened that morning.

For the rest of Amber's classes, she wasn't able to talk to Ed like before due to Cody sitting in the desk next to her. It was during those instances that he'd wish he was solid so that he could push him out of his chair, regardless with how short the sense of satisfaction would've been afterwards.

So you could imagine how relieved Ed was when school was over for Amber, which meant it was just the two of them and no Cody.

"Man, am I glad to finally get out of there! The only things interesting were your chemistry and history class!" Ed said as he walked beside Amber.

"I'm not surprised that you found those interesting." Amber said. "But what I want to know is what's your problem with Cody? You kept glaring and growling at him like you were jealous or something."

"I'm _not_ jealous!" He lied. "Why should I care if you like him or not? It's not like it matters to me in the first place!"

"Good, because I don't!"

This surprised Ed, but he didn't show it. He was about to ask Amber to explain when she spoke up, all the while having a smile as she seemed to reminiscence.

"I don't like Cody that way. We've been friends since first grade so it'd be weird. So you have no reason to be jealous."

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU I'M NOT JEALOUS!"

"Then prove it." Amber said.

"How am I supposed to do something like that?" Ed asked.

"Hmm…I don't know." She said playfully. "You're smart, so I'm sure you can think of something."

Ed wasn't sure if Amber was challenging him or not, but before he could figure it out she started running off down the sidewalk.

"Hey! Get back here!" He yelled as he chased after her.

"Gotta catch me first!" She yelled over her shoulder at him.

Ed couldn't help the huge grin that appeared on his face as he gave chase, all the while being reminded of when Amber was still the little 5 year old girl he first met when he still believed her to be a dream. Up ahead he could see that they were approaching the house she lived in and, in turn, Ed sped up; this was a challenge he was easily capable of winning, and he wasn't going to lose. Just a little more and he'd be within arm's reach of her!

But then Ed tripped over something and in the process dragged Amber down with him. He quickly recovered and blushed when he realized that he'd fallen on top of her.

"Amber! Are you okay?" He asked franticly.

It was quiet for a bit and Ed was confused when he heard Amber laughing.

'_Did she hit her head or something?_' He thought.

"Looks like you caught me." Amber said when she managed to calm down a bit.

"Yeah, looks like I did." He agreed, unable to stop himself from grinning.

"Laughing aside, would you mind getting up? For someone so small you're not exactly light."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SOMEONE SMALLER THAN A SPECK OF DUST?_!_"

"You, of course. And it did get you off me."

That was when Ed noticed that he was, indeed, standing in front of Amber. He quickly turned around to hide his reddening face as the memory of falling on top of her burned in his mind.

"C'mon, shortie. Time to head inside."

"DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!_!_!"

Amber just ignored his protests as she merely went inside her house. Ed followed her inside and into the kitchen where she placed her backpack down next to the chair he assumed she was going to sit at the table, and he sat down in the next chair over at the table. He saw that Amber was rummaging through the fridge, so he took that time to allow his gaze to roam around the kitchen. Ed remembered thinking Winry would've had a field day with the technical stuff in the room when he first saw them in his second 'dream'.

His train of thought was interrupted when Amber sat down in her seat, along with a glass of milk sitting in front of her on the table as she was going through her backpack for the homework she had been assigned. Ed glared at the glass of milk, wishing that his gaze could've caused the white liquid to boil and evaporate before Amber even had a chance to take her first sip. Sadly that wasn't the case since she placed her homework on the table before taking a sip of her milk. Ed's face showed disgust at seeing her drink the milk and he couldn't stop himself from shuddering.

"How can you drink that stuff?" He asked.

Amber placed the cup down on the table before turning to face him.

"Easy. I just bring the glass to my mouth and tilt it back slightly." She replied as if it was obvious.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Really? I could've sworn that was what you were asking."

"So I ask a simple question and all I get as a sarcastic answer?"

"Pretty much!"

Ed sighed.

"And yet Winry calls me immature at times."

Amber was about to retort when the doorbell suddenly went off. In his curiosity Ed followed her to the front door to see who it was, but then he started feeling dreadful for some reason when the person at the door turned out to be what he thought was a police officer (at least he looked like he would be one even if the appearance of his uniform was drastically different than what he was used to seeing).

"C-can I help you?" Amber asked, and Ed noticed that she sounded uneasy.

Ed listened as the police officer asked Amber if she was who she was, and as soon as she confirmed it the older man's face became grim, an expression he had seen too many times to count. It was the expression one would give when something bad had happen and they were forced to be the one to give the bad news to the person who had been wronged. The dreadful feeling Ed had was explained when the officer told Amber that her parents were killed in a car accident. But how?

"How were they killed?" Amber asked, as if knowing what Ed's silent question was.

"Like we said, we found them both in the same car around noon today. It looked like a case of hit-and-run, but the damage to the car itself looked too extensive to be that. We're still not sure what happened exactly, but we're trying our best to figure this out." The officer told her.

Ed couldn't exactly describe the expression on Amber's face. There were too many emotions to pinpoint a single word to call it, but the one he saw the most was shock. Maybe even horrified by the news of the accident her parents were in. One thing he knew was that her mind was having trouble registering all this. Even the officer noticed this and showed some pity.

"I'm sorry. We'll have someone come back later to take you over to the station to see the bodies."

Even after the officer left Amber still had that expression on her face, like she was unsure how she should react to the news due to her mind. She just stood there with the door still open even after the officer drove away from the house. Ed walked forward to close the front door for her, but even the sound of it slamming shut (he shoved the door a little harder than he initially thought he did) didn't even cause her to flinch; she just stared at the now closed door with wide eyes. He wasn't sure what to do, but he had to do something to get her away from the front door, seeing as Amber didn't look like she was going to be moving from that spot anytime soon.

Ed grabbed Amber's hand and tried to lead her away from the front door, but she wouldn't move. He even tried grabbing her arm and dragging her, and despite being able to move her a little it was hardly any progress at all. This wasn't like last time where she was still a little 5 year old girl that he'd been able to carry, and he couldn't exactly do that now that she was older.

'_Wait, I could carry her._' He thought. '_But actually getting her to move is the problem._'

Ed stood in front of Amber before turning his back to face her, and after some difficulty he managed to get her on his back. She was somewhat heavier than he first thought, but he was able to carry her into the living room and got her to sit down on the couch. Ed wanted to tell her to wait where she was while he went to get her cup of milk, but he refrain from doing so since he knew she wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. What would be the point in telling her that when she hadn't shone any reaction yet? When he did come back with the milk he saw that she hadn't moved an inch, and his gaze softened out of pity as he sat down next to her.

"Amber, I got your milk for you." He told her.

She did respond. Ed went through his head, thinking of what to do just to get her to respond in some way. His gaze fell on the cup of milk he had placed on the coffee table in front of the couch. As much as he hated the idea, he'd drink the milk if it got her to respond at his own expense. As long as it got her to do anything but stare into space with that expression of hers.

"I'm gonna to drink the milk." He warned, picking up the cup and glancing at her. Still no response. "I'm really gonna do it."

Seeing that Amber wasn't going to respond anytime soon Ed gulped before chugging down the milk, and he tried his best not to gag or spit it out during the whole thing. He slammed the now empty cup on the coffee table, gasping after having drank the one thing he hated the most as the aftertaste still lingered on his tongue. Ed turned to face Amber as he held back a disgusted look from having to drink milk.

"See?" He groaned. "I told you I'd drink it."

But even then Amber hadn't responded at all. Ed started to feel somewhat irritated at she wasn't responding, but he also felt worried. This wasn't like her, at least from what he'd seen so far.

"Dammit, Amber! Say something! Anything! Laugh at me, call me little, I don't care! Just say something already!"

Ed was taken by surprised when tears started to fall from Amber's eyes, yet her expression was still the same. He watched as this took place before him and he didn't know what to make of it.

"Ed…" Amber suddenly said, her voice quiet. "…What is…my purpose in life?"

Ed felt pity as he was reminded of when she had first asked him that question the last time he'd been here. Why was she asking him this question when he had told her the answer last time? Then again for Amber it had been 10 years since she last asked him that question.

"I wish I could tell you, but I don't even know the answer myself." He told her, giving her the same answer he'd given her last time.

Slowly he watched as Amber's expression started to change and it was then that Ed realized that her mind was beginning to register what happened to her parents when she started crying for real this time. He was hesitant on what to do, not sure if he should touch her at this time, but the part of him that wanted to help her got him to wrap his arms around her and allowed her to cry on his shoulder.

But as soon as he did that everything around them suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by a familiar white expanse, and the form of Truth waited patiently where it sat.

**"Hello again, Edward."** Truth greeted. **"I see you enjoyed your little trip. But sadly, it's time for you to head back home."**

Ed felt Amber stiffen slightly before lifting her head up to see Truth.

"Ed? What's going on?" Amber asked quietly, and he could hear the fear in her voice.

**"Yes, Edward. What _is _going on?"**

Ed growled quietly.

"How about you tell me?" Ed retorted. "Why's Amber here when it should be just me?"

**"Oh, you didn't know? It just so happens that you're not going back alone this time."**

"That's impossible! Amber hasn't performed human transmutation, let along any form of alchemy!"

**"I thought that you would've learned by now that I don't lie. You should be a little more appreciated for what I've done for you."** Truth grinned. **"After all, her parents had just recently paid for her to go through the Gate."**

Amber gasped in shock, causing Ed to look at her with his eyes wide as well as hers.

"You killed my parents?_!_" Amber cried.

**"So what if I did? Would it really matter now that they're gone? They may have paid for your trip with their lives, but there's just one more thing that's required from you. Luckily for you, I happen to be feeling _generous_ today."**

Suddenly the ominous sound of large doors opened and Ed turned around with wide eyes when he saw a Gate behind him.

"Ed!_!_! Help me, please!_!_!"

Ed's head shot back to Amber and his eyes widened even more when he saw the tiny black hands that had ensnared Amber within their grasp as she helplessly struggled against them. He could see just how terrified not only on her face, but in her eyes as well.

"Amber!" He yelled.

In a desperate attempt to save her Ed wrapped his arms around her as he tried to pull her back. Despite everything he did to free her, they all proved to be futile since Amber was jerked out of his hold and pulled through the Gate behind her. Her cries for help were silenced as soon as the Gate slammed shut in front of him.

"NO!" Ed ran over to the Gate and started banging his fisted hand against it even if it would've changed anything. He let out a shaky breath as he tried to calm down. "Give her back…!" When Ed didn't hear Truth respond, he turned around to face him, his gold eyes glaring at the white entity. "I SAID GIVE HER BACK!"

**"You know I can't do that, Edward. The toll has already been paid."**

"Then why?_! _Why did you have to ruin her life by taking her parents away from her like that?_!_"

**"Because she knew too much, and since she knew that you were real I just couldn't risk the chance of allowing her to reveal what'll happen in the future. It was because of the fact that she was the first person to encounter you that she became a sort of anchor that kept drawing you back to that world, hence why she was the only one that could communicate with you."**

Ed froze at this, his eyes wide as he understood what Truth was telling him. So all this time it was because of meeting Amber that he kept being drawn back to her world! And because of him…!

"It's my fault…" Ed said quietly. "All this is my fault…"

**"You see, Edward? That's why I took her. But don't worry, she's not dead. In fact, she's not missing any limbs or anything important in order to sustain her life."**

Ed lowered his gaze to what could've been considered the floor. Knowing that Amber was still alive and in one piece was all fine and dandy, but it was what she'd already lost that got to him. And all because of him.

**"Cheer up! You'll be seeing her soon enough. Maybe even sooner than you think." **

Ed felt the tiny hands that grabbed him, but he didn't do anything to stop them from dragging him through the Gate. There was no point in doing so now after what happened to Amber. The last thing he thought about before the Gate closed in front of him was the fearful look she had given him before she was taken.

* * *

ATE: That's it for chapter 1 of Between Dreams and Reality. So not only do we have Amber as an OC, but Cody as well. That's right! I created more than one OC character this time. And before you ask, yes, Cody will actually be involved in this story than just his appearance in this chapter.

Oh, and I also have the drawing for Amber (the older one) posted on deviantart:

aerith -the- evenstar .deviantart #/d 5c zjyz

I'll eventually have to do a drawing for Cody eventually, though. But that'll be interesting to do.

Please remember to review! ;D


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